Showing posts with label Chat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chat. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Kelsey Shawl






I just fastened off my beautiful Kelsey Shawl. This was such a fun, quick and lovely crochet shawl to make. It took just one ball of Lion Brand Mandala. I used the Wizard Colorway.



I did a little bit of yarn cake surgery to omit the yellow. I chose to go up one size on the hook to produce a drapier and airy shawl for this Texas climate. It took me about 5 rows of the pattern repeat to get the pattern down and then I just used a progress keeper on both sides to keep from crochet too few or too many stitches per row. Got to love that clean and pretty edge.



I would love to try this in some cotton! I think it would be amazing.

Thanks for joining me today! Have a good one <3
Melody




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Sunday, March 11, 2018

Fiber Friends Post - Meet the Husbeast

Hi friends!

I have been loving the Fiber Friends tags on youtubes yarn community. We are meeting husbands, boyfriends and kids. I decided to go with my husband. He is always a good sport. So grab a warm drink of something and a project and lets hang out!


Sunday, December 31, 2017

Yarn Goals for 2018!






My #Makenine2018!!

The Picture is  Link to my Ravelry Project Page for my #MakeNine2018 with links to all of the patterns on it that are available to me. The links below are the ones to their websites if they have any info about the patterns there. Hope the info helps!! 

Granny Shorts 

Lavanya Patricellis "Brioche Topped Thigh High Socks"

Skeinos "Arabella Shawl"

Helen Shrimptons "Mandala Madness" blog post!

Attic24s Cowl-Neck Poncho blog post! The pattern is actually from Simone Francis. 

The Loopy Stitchs "Mexican Inspired Blanket" blog post!

Amy Millers "Betsy" Shawl

West Knits "Dotted Rays Speckle Fade" Shawl

Sosu Knits "Shusui Shrug" blog post!


Honerable Mention: I will need a Piha Shawl by Alia Bland. So gorgeous!!



Thursday, November 16, 2017

History of the Virus Shawl...not really.

Hi friends,

There are few patterns in crochet that are more celebrated than the Virus Shawl. I have always been surprised by how many videos on youtube are devoted to teaching this pattern sequence. So today as I crochet my first virus shawl I figured we would dig deeper into the who, what, when, wear and why.

Who: Woolpedia.de which is actually Julia Marquardt

What: It's a chart for a triangle shawl. A very simple chart composed of three repeats of a four row pattern. Then you continue until you feel you are done. It is so instinctual that I did not have to look again after that third repeat. I just kept going until my yarn cake became ominously small.

When: I think that the pattern dates back to Ravelry says that it dates back about 2 years. But, I feel like I have heard about it forever and that it might have come over on the Mayflower.

Why: Because it's addictively fast and simple for something that looks fancy and complicated.


Now for MY Virus Shawl!


I used a J Hook with Lion Brand Mandala in Phoenix. I love this so much! I am so glad that I just sat myself down to make this shawl once and for all.

This has the fanciness of pineapples in half the work. I could not recommend this pattern more. I highly suggest they make it to your holiday gift crafting list.

Take care and give you a big hug!
Melody







As always I use affiliate links and benefit financially from your clicking them. Thank you SO much if you do choose to shop from them.




Friday, October 27, 2017

Filet Crochet Skull Jumper



Hi! I hope this post finds you and yours doing well! It's a blustery fall day here in Texas. I recently finished a project that I just could NOT wait to share with you. It has inspired me to do SO much more filet crochet that I am currently designing more to wear so I can continue this look after Halloween.

I love horror and the spookies. My inner child is a little goth left in me from the 90s and I cherish her. Friday the 13th is something I celebrate so I planned this project as my "Friday the 13th Project". So, that morning my yarn, materials and pattern were all set aside and ready to go. I even did a gauge swatch. I was not let down. This was the perfect celebration crochet.

The "Filet Crochet Skull Jumper" is a pattern by Pony McTate. Pony has a few other patterns on Ravelry, as well. I am going to need a rapture top. Maybe a scrappy one, too. And her new sweater might need to happen, too. I have a holiday sweater along coming up November 1st in the Ravelry group. This one is tempting!

So, lets talk about the pattern. It was originally found in issue 59 of Simply Crochet magazine. I get that on my phone every issue so it was easy for me to access. But, the pattern can also be bought on its own here for $4.75 USD. The pattern was clear and simple.

This is a picture of the original pattern:



My modifications:

First off...no band on the bottom. That would have stolen my zest for this project. Just leached the fun out for me right off the bat. I just chained very loosely for as many stitches as I would need, plus 3 and then double crocheted back. Keep in mind this is worked in two pieces. Front and back. And then you sew them together. You can then add sleeves. I chose not to. I made is so wide that it practically formed its own cap sleeve.

I used an Boye Ergonomic Size 3.75 hook (an F) instead of the 4.5mm hook suggested. It sounds odd. But, I sized down my hook because I sized up my yarn. I went with Aran weight "I Love This Cotton" yarn instead of the sport weight "Yarn and Colors Must-Have" cotton yarn. I don't have easy access to The Must-Have  but it looks to have very similar drape and texture to the I Love This Cotton that I used. And this yarn has been sitting in my stash for YEARS. I love the color and just couldn't make myself turn it into a dishcloth. The ideal swatch size was 4 inches. After downsizing the hook my swatch was 6 inches wide and having a 50% larger skull was perfect in my eyes. BINGO!

I used the swatch to do the math on how many squares I wanted in my top. I figured out that I wanted 6 blank squares below the design and 4 blank squares above. I needed 10 free squares on the right and left of the widest part of the skull. This was all just a quick doodle on some 10 squares per inch graph paper (buy it here or print it from here). Having this on paper makes creating any new designs very simple. I think I'll need a big rose for Spring.

Outcome:

I love it! Its soft and comfy and just enough festive to walk around in all month long before a holiday. This was a fast project, simple enough for a beginner. I could not recommend it more.

Have a great day! Love always,
Mel

As Always this post is full of links and some are affiliate links. I would so appreciate you using them if they help you at all. Just to be fully open and honest I do sometimes receive compensation when you click them.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Little Goth Doll




I made a doll for our dear friend Kate. She wanted a voodoo doll and I wanted to make a cute one. Here is the compromise. I found a pattern and just mimicked it. I would have followed it but it was a little pricey and did not look like anything that I couldn't duplicate.

While I was working I wrote up the pattern. It will work for this and any type of doll that you might want to make. Just change up the colors. I will be making many more. It was so much fun and worked up so quickly!

I used less than one ball of each color in I love the Cotton from Hobby Lobby. I think that cotton is the best yarn to use for amigurumi. It keeps its shape and cleans up well. It feels really nice when you are making it and photographs beautifully. It takes color best when you are adding detail shading. Use a brush, not your fingers. It's hard to tell in the above picture...but her skin is shimmery ivory. I tried to capture that but it really messed with the color. So here is a close-up that captures it a bit.


In other news we are so pleased to see signs of spring. I have already bought roses and berries to plant. The weather still has a chill but the sun is out and the birds are singing. In the morning it is hard to get out of the big warm bed but when I do the drives to school at sunrise are right out of a picture. I just want to photograph and share each one!

I am on the hunt for a good couple of purple yarns to make my next shawl out of. I want a variety. I am dreaming up a fade shawl. But I might make Arabella next instead.

xo,
Melody

Thursday, December 4, 2014

I survived Black Friday weekend!

When did "Black Friday" turn into 4 days? Oh! It was amazing. I am not a big shopper (except yarn stores). I really just love the energy of it. People are all full of food and family love in fancy outfits. I am really big on people watching. I grab coffee and just wander and smile at everyone. They miiiight think I am crazy but they always smile back... so it works for me.

It is funny how late it always feels. It is just so dark so early this time of year.

My big guy was visiting an uncle for the holiday. He had a great time! So, I just had to put the little one to bed and sit the husband in front of his monitor to work through his turkey coma on FFXIV... and away I went.

First, was Walmart. I was nearly hit in the parking lot but that did not phase me. I scored the Nabi 2 at half price. So I am pretty much done for the little ones Christmas. Half price! *cheesy smile* No drama involved either. I walked up, she gave me a wristband. A few minutes later I came back to her and she gave me the box. I grabbed a few other items at irrisistable prices ($4 character jammies...yes, please.) The lines at checkout weren't even long. I was starting to worry about Black Friday. Was it a passing trend?

Next, I hit Ulta. I filled up a bag and then looked at the line and I put that bag down. Don't worry. Black Friday is not a passing trend. The Ulta line proved it. The deals were not beefy enough to warrant that line. Nothing was beefy enough to warrant that line. I could just feel other deals slipping between my fingers if I stood near THAT LINE. It was crazy. So, I left. I hope I find that dirt cheap perfume sampler on Ebay.

I went to a local outdoor mall. It was CHRISTMAS! Christmas music, twinkling lights, people all bundled up. It was right out of a holiday card. *sigh* I wandered. It's what I do. I grabbed some odds and ends over the next two hours and then headed home. I hugged everyone. The holidays do that to me. It's a month of alot of hugs.

This weekend I made cocoa from scratch and finished my shark slippers. See!


These are off to to sit under a tree for a few weeks....just lurking. *insert Jaws music*



Friday, October 10, 2014

I Love Yarn Day

Happy Friday! Even more monumental...Happy I LOVE YARN DAY!!! 

Today I am riddled with messy allergies (ragweed *glare*) but I pushed through and after helping out the teacher at my little guys school I went yarn shopping. Michaels and then Hobby Lobby.

Haul time!!! I figure I will divide them up by store in case anyone wants to go get something that they see.

First Michaels!

And now Hobby Lobby!

The driving force behind my shopping was threefold.

Firstly, I have been serial watching "Once Upon a Time" on Netflix this week. I am really enjoying the show. I believe I am on episode 14 now. There is some amazing yarn smut on this show. But, I had to push pause and search Ravelry when I saw this picture:


Its amazing and I need it. So I grabbed some grey bulky yarn today and downloaded a free pattern for it. 

This one is next: 


Here is the free pattern for it. Thank you, movieknitters!

And I will need Ruby's hat, too. (Pattern) I grabbed the red sport weight yarn today. 



Secondly, I am sending three swaps. My main items are all ready to ship but I like to send fun little extras...candy and tiny crafted items. So I got some materials and fun stuff to throw in there.

Lastly, I have a project...moon jars! They are magical and amazing and I MUST make some. (I tried to get everything at Michaels and Hobby Lobby but had to go to Walmart for the solar lights). I will take pics and we will walk down the road of moon jars together.


Sunday, September 21, 2014

Winter Is Coming!!!

Winter Is Coming!!!



My girlfriend and her family are stationed in Alaska this year. The kids are going to have recess outside even when its SUPER cold. I made this for her little guy to stay at the school and keep him warm.

Balaclava is an old fashioned name for helmet liner. It stems from long ago during the Crimean War. The British soldiers were not getting their warm clothing quickly enough while they were fighting in Russia. These were handmade from wool yarn.

This balaclava was crocheted from a paid pattern from Ravelry but I can definitely see writing a few balaclava patterns of my own. Such a convenient item for the little ones. I never would have expected my five year old to be this comfortable in something like this. It is usually such a struggle to get hats and scarves on him. It was super soft. I used "I Love This Yarn" from Hobby Lobby. A nice, easy care acrylic. The hook was a Clover I hook which made this work up really quickly.

The pattern works up in one piece and then you sew it on the side of the head and below the chin to form the shape. This is actually the toddler size on him.

My husband liked it so much that he asked me to make him one for when he is working in the cold this season. His will be two strands of Patons Classic Wool and a Clover J Hook.

Here are some more pics of my little guy in the balaclava!




Monday, October 21, 2013

Little Red Riding Hood

I have been crocheting. Quite a bit really. It kept my hands busy during the move.

This was for a swap last month. I sent Gozer a Little Red Riding Hood for her to wear.

I used the Ruadh pattern on Ravelry. It turned out beautifully. The pattern is fabulous. BUT...the stitch the body is in took much longer than I expected. So this is not a quick project.

 
 

This picture shows a little of the detail around the edge. It went all the way up one side, over the hood and down the other side. That was a long strip of crocheted cables. I got VERY familiar with the pattern.
But I am very happy with how it turned out. Hopefully it keeps her warm for a long time!

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